2 Top Editors Leave Omni to Protest Ad on Cover

By RICHARD D. HYLTON

Published: October 14, 1990

Two top editors of Omni magazine have resigned because they said the magazine had published an advertisement on the cover of its November issue.

At first glance, the cover seems to contain a glistening silver hologram of a cellular telephone. In fact, the cover has a large oval hole that allows the hologram, which appears in a Motorola advertisement on the first inside page, to be seen without opening the magazine.

Patrice Adcroft, the editor of the science and technology magazine, said in an interview on Friday, ''I felt that an advertisement on the cover of a magazine hurts the credibility of the magazine and was an infringement on editorial territory.''

Steve Fox, the managing editor, said Friday, ''This is beyond blurring the lines between advertising and editorial.''

Denial of an Ad

General Media International, the New York publishing company headed by Robert Guccione that publishes Omni, said the two editors had resigned to pursue other interests.

General Media denied that the cover was an advertisement and praised the high-tech quality of the hologram.

''What could be more appropriate than a great example of American technology celebrated in a magazine dedicated to exploring the benefits and fascination of modern science,'' Kathy Keeton, the president of Omni, said in a statement.

Other staff members said last week that they feared more people would resign or be dismissed.

Ms. Adcroft said she tendered her resignation on Oct. 2. She said she had offered to forgo three months of her salary if the magazine would not run the advertisement on its cover.

''Patty resigned strictly because of the cover; I resigned because of the potential coverup,'' said Mr. Fox. ''The company was attempting to put a spin on Patty's resignation and to portray the cover as not an advertisement.''

In their resignations, Mr. Fox and Ms. Adcroft gave the company several weeks' notice. On Friday, Oct. 5, the two editors were given two hours to clear out their offices and leave the building.

Another Resignation

Ms. Adcroft had been editor since 1986 and had been with the company since 1984. Mr. Fox joined Omni in 1983 and was named managing editor in 1986.

General Media said Ms. Adcroft had been replaced as editor by Keith Ferrell, formerly senior editor of Compute, and Mr. Fox by Ed Gutman, formerly managing editor of Aerospace America.

Nina Guccione, an associate editor of the magazine and Mr. Guccione's daughter, also resigned shortly after Ms. Adcroft submitted her resignation. Ms. Guccione will remain at the publication for several weeks before the resignation becomes effective, Omni staff members said.

Omni, which was founded in 1978, has a circulation of about 750,000. General Media also publishes Penthouse, Longevity and Compute magazines.